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Nyota Uhura
Caption: Lieutenant in 2267 Gender: Female Species: Human Actress: Nichelle Nichols Uhura (played by Nichelle Nichols) was the communications officer of both the Enterprise and the Enterprise-A. During the Enterprise's five-year mission under Captain Kirk, she held the rank of lieutenant, but was promoted to commander some time prior to 2285. The Five-Year Mission Since 2266, Uhura served as Communications Officer aboard the [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701)|USS Enterprise]] under the command of Captain James T. Kirk. (TOS: "The Corbomite Maneuver") Her name, "Uhura", translates as "freedom" in Swahili, and she speaks her mother language fluently. She also has a singing voice, and was known for entertaining the crewmember of the Enterprise with her song, accompanying by Spock on the harp. (TOS: "Charlie X")' :Although her place of birth has never been established, her mother tongue was Swahili, implying East African origin or heritage. Uhura had shown some romantic interest in ship's engineering Montgomery Scott, but their relation was never pursued. Her most traumatic experience during her time aboard the Enterprise, was having her memory wiped out by the space probe Nomad, when it interprets her singing as a biological malfunction. Doctor McCoy used advanced medical techniques to retain her and restore her to normal. (TOS: "The Changeling") See Uhura's memory wipe. .]] When the Enterprise crew was under the influence of powerful telepaths, Uhura was forced to kiss Captain Kirk. (TOS: "Plato's Stepchildren") :The kiss between Kirk and Uhura would become famous, as it was the first interracial kiss on American television. When under the influence of the women of Taurus II, the male crewmembers of the Enterprise were incapacitated by the siren's song. Lieutenant Uhura took command of the vessel, and assigned Nurse Chapel to acting Chief Medical Officer. They led a landing party down to the planet's surface to rescue Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock, and Dr. McCoy. (TAS: "The Lorelei Signal") .]] When the Enterprise visisted the Amusement Park planet, Uhura was abducted by the planet's computer, which was in charge of the planet after its Keeper had died. The computer felt that it was being taken advantage of, but Uhura reasoned with it, and ceased its hostile actions against the Enterprise crew. (TAS: "Once Upon a Planet") When Uhura, along with the rest of the crew, contracted Dramian Auroral plague, she collapsed on the bridge from the effects of the disease. She would have died, if Dr. McCoy had not found a cure. (TAS: "Albatross") In 2270, Sulu, McCoy and Uhura were trapped in the holographic recreation room, when the ship's computer began exhibiting aberrant behaviour following the Enterprise's passage through an energy cloud. (TAS: "The Practical Joker") Later that year, the Enterprise entered an anti-matter universe. The crew experienced accelerated reverse aging, and Uhura was reduced to infancy. Following the vessel's return to normal space, Uhura and the other crewmembers were returned to their normal ages, by use of the transporter. (TAS: "The Counter-Clock Incident") :Nichelle Nichols provided the voice of Uhura for The Animated Series, and appeared in all but seven of its episodes. Late Career in 2271.]] In 2271, she was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Commander aboard the refitted Enterprise, now under the command of Commander Willard Decker. She served aboard the Enterprise during the V'Ger crisis of 2271, again under the command of now-Admiral Kirk. (Star Trek: The Motion Picture) In 2284 (when the Enterprise was assigned to Starfleet Academy), Uhura was assigned to Starfleet Academy cadet training and Starfleet Command communications. Part of her duty was giving lectures at the Academy. In 2285, Uhura was assigned again to the Enterprise for the rescue of the Genesis Project development team. Following the loss of Spock, the bridge crew of the ship stole the Enterprise from spacedock to save their old friend. (Star Trek III: The Search for Spock) They succeeded, and upon their return to Earth, they were charged with the theft of the vessel. However, because they had saved the planet Earth from the attack of an alien probe, all charges against them were cancelled. (Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home) The Enterprise, however, had been lost at the Genesis Planet. Starfleet Command decided to assign as new vessel to its crew; the [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-A)|USS Enterprise-A]] in 2293.]] Until the Khitomer crisis of 2293, Uhura served as Communications Officer aboard the Enterprise-A, now promoted to the rank of Commander. The Enterprise played a vital role in the succes of the Khitomer Conference. By 2293, Uhura had left the Enterprise, and had taken up a position at Starfleet Academy. (Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country) Background Info According to a classic Trek writer's guide, Uhura was born in the United States of Africa. The Star Trek Chronology suggests she was born in 2239. Uhura's name was derived from "Uhuru", the Swahili word for "freedom", but the character's given name was never established. By the early 1970s, fans had suggested that her name may have been "Penda", meaning "love". Later, the name "Nyota" ("star") became more commonly used, first by William Rostler in his book ''Star Trek II Biographies. The character of Uhura has been said to inspire other future actresses, such as Whoopi Goldberg. Nichelle Nichols was considering leaving the Star Trek franchise after the first season, but a meeting with Dr. Martin Luther King convinced her otherwise.